Cultivator.



l. W. VICCALLUIVIL CULTIVATOR` l APPLICATloN FILED JULY 5,1912.

Patented.` Jim1, 1918.

l. W. NICCALLUIVI.

CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 5.1912. 1,252,128. Patented Jan. 1,1918.

I VL SHLEIETS*SHEET 2.

I. W. IVIcCALLUIVI.

CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5.1912.

'Patentedlan 1,1918. 4. SHEETS-SHEET a.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

v4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

@y gwn-1. Him,

'iNGEnsoLL w. MCGALL'UM, or CAMBRIDGE, 'iviAssfAciiUs'T'Ts Specicati'oii of Letters Iatent.

l Patented J an. f1, 1918A.

Applicationv filed 4Il'iily 5, 1912*. Serial No. I707,863.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, INenRsoLL W. MCCAL- LUM, a-subject of the King of England, and a resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of lVIassachusetts,'have invented an Improvement in Cultivators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to cultivators and planters, and will be best understood by reference to the following descriptionl when taken in connection with the accompanying illustration of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in -thevappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the machine on an enlargedscale partly broken away; I

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view'partly in elevation on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention which I have there disclosed for illustrative purposes, I have there shown a cultivator and planter comprising a vehicle, herein of the self-propelled type, having a` frame 10, mounted upon suitable driving wheels 11-11 and suitable steering wheelsk 12-'1-2, the latter being controlled as is usual in self-propelled vehicles by a steering wheel 13. The driving wheels 11 may be driven in any suitable manner, herein beingloo'sely mounted upon a iiXed axle 14, and separately driven by chains 15 15, connecting sprocket wheels 16-16 on said wheels, with sprocket wheels 17e-17 ony opposite ends ofa divided jackshaft 18, the latter being journaled in suite' able bearings 19'19, provided on the frame 10 and extending into a transmission gear casing 20. As is usual with motor vehicles, this casing may contain differential gearing permitting' the differential action of the driving wheels, and suitable change gearing for changing the ratio 'of the gearing be-V tween the usual engineva'nd the rear driving wheels. These parts just referred to, how'- ever', arenot essential to the illustration of my present invention, and it -will bey unnecessary to show and describe them herein.

The vehicle carries at its rear porti-'on suitable means for supporting the "cultivate ing' devices, and -herein 'comprising one 'oi' more levers 21, herein three in number ful'- crum'ed upon thev rear aXle 14 to swing in vertical planes so as to permit the 'adjustment of the' cultivating devices hereinafter described toward and away from the ground. For the purposes of adjustment the levers 21 are preferably provided at their vforward ends with segmental gears 22, meshing with pinions 23 secured to a shaft 24 journaled in suitablek bearings 25 on the frame 10. The shaft -24 may b'e rotated by any suitable means conveniently located fort manual operation, and herein vcomprising a crank 26 connected to 'said shaft by a suitable train vof gears furnishing a leverage permitting the weight carried by the levers 21 to be easily lifted by manual operation. Herein thistrain of gears comprises a gear 27 secured to the crank 26 and meshing into a larger gear 28; to the latter is secured a smaller gear 29, which meshes with a gear 30 secured to the shaft 24. By the means just described, the rear ends of the levers 21 may be raised o'r lowered as may be desired bythe rotation yof the crank 26 in the proper direction. As a means for locking the levers in the desired position of 'adjusts ment,.I have provided suitable means, herein a pawl 31.

These parts .just described are preferably conveniently located beneath a seat v321 for the operator 0f the machine, and the crank 26 and pawl 31 are readily accessible at'the side of the seat for easy manipulation at the will of the operator.

The levers 21 carry suitable cultivating devices, preferably a plurality of picks having suitable means to impart a downward and lateral movement thereto. In the pres= ent instance, I have y'chosen toy employ a plurality of sets of picks, hereinfour sets7 32, 33, 34 and 35. These picks are given a downward rearward movement to embed them in the`earth,and then an'upwa'rd movement toy withdraw them therefrom by suitable mechanism, hrein comprising vtwo crank shaft's and 37, located one above the other. The picks of each set are given their desired movement' by the conjoint action of the two crank shafts. To this end,`fthe crank shaft 36 is" provided with a plurality of @rank arms ashaving crank pins a9 journaledf-in suitable bearings provided in the with corresponding crank arms 40, Vhaving crank pins 41- journaledin suitablebear-y ings inthe picks 32. In like manner, the crank shaft 36 is provided with another s et of crank varms 42, having crank pins 43i`journaled in 'suitableY bearings inthe picks 33, and the crankshaft37 .is simie larly provided with crank arms 44, havingcrank pins 45 alsojo-urnaled insuitable bearings inthe picks 33.Y In like manner the crankshaft 36 isalso provided with crank arms 46, having crank pins k47 journaledin suitablefbearings in the picks 34, and similarly. they crank shaft 37 is provided with crank arms 48, ,havingy crank .pins 49 also journaled lin suitable `bearings 1nV said picks. The crank shaft 36 is yfurther provided with.v crank arms 50, having ycrank pins 51 j ournaled in suitable bearings in the picks 35, and similarly the crank shaft 37 is provided with crank arms 52, having crank pins i 53 also journaled in suitable bearings pro 4 vided insaid picks. g

Allof thepicks hereinbefore described are suitablyshaped at their lower extremities, herein being provided with sharp points or teeth suitably shaped to enter the earth. f

It will now be evident` that ifthe crank shafts 36 and 37 are rotated in unison in the proper direction, the points of the various sets of picks just described willbe given a circular Amotion. in their respective vertical planes, and will consequently be ydriven downwardly. and rearwardly into the ground,

then. withdrawn upwardly-v and rearwardly, and'then carriedforwardly and upwardly into position to be again thrust linto the ground as before. Obviously this motion willl tear up the earth rapidly and prepare the same for the reception ofV theseeds where the machine is used for-planting, and of course the machine may be used for cultivating the earth between rows-of previously grown plantsin a :manner lwhich will be readily understood. I

The crank shafts 36 and 37 may be rotated in unison in the same ydirection by any suitable means, but I prefer to employ for this purpose -an :endless .chain 54 engaging` sprocket wheels 55- and 56 secured to the crank shafts 36 and 37, Vand drivenby a sprocket wheel 57 journalednpon the rear axle 14. -Se'curedto the latter sprocket wheel is a'second sprocket wheel 58 engagedbya chain 59, driven. by a sprocket Wheel 60 loosely mounted on the jack shaft 18. The

' sprocket Wheel 60 may be driven in any suitable manner, preferablyv by providing the same with la suitable clutch member 61 adapted toy be engaged byasimlar clutchy member 62. The latterclutch member is slidably, but non-rotatably mountedon the shaft 18, by meansof the spline or feather 63, so? as to be capable of beingmoved into andoutgof inter-engagementwith the clutch "member 61. The clutch member 61 and sprocket wheel 60 are held `Aagainst longitudinal movement on the shaft 18 by suitable means, as for example a pin or screw 63,

projecting into a circumferential groove 64,V provided'in the shaft 18. The clutehLmember 62 may be moved into and out of drivingengagement with the clutch member 61 by any suitable means such forl example as a clutch shifter 65 engaging the circumferential groove 66 provided in the clutch member 62, said clutch shifter being mounted to slide longitudinally in suitable bearings 67 provided on the transmission gear ,casing 2 0. The clutch shifter may be actuated in any suitable" manner, as for example Aby means of a bell crank lever 68, having one arm connected thereto andhaving itsother arm connected to arod 69, extending forwardly and suitably connected to a manually operable lever 70, conveniently located at theside of the seat 32 By this means the crank shafts 36 and 37 may be connected to anddriven by the shaft 18, or disconnected therefrom at the will of the operator.

It will be readily understood fromthe foregoing that thepicks may beg adjusted to any desired height within the vrange of yadi.

justment of the mechanism, soas to enter the ground to the desired extent or toclear the ground entirely. Itwill also be apparent that the picks may be instantly thrown into and out of action, while the machine advancesalong the ground. It will therefore be evident thatthe picks maybe advanced tov cause their engagement with vsuccessive portions of the ground in such a manner as ion to loosen, break, andpulverize theearthand throw` the latter rearwardly over the seeds.

Suitably supported on the machine, and preferably upon the frameV 10 at the'front of the pick mechanism, is a fertilizer hopper, or a plurality ofhoppers 71,1 1erein two, each having one o rvmore outlets72. These outlets may be controlledby shutters 73 carried to and fro across the opening by suitable means herein rods 'f4- '74, which are given longitudinal reciprocative movef.

ments by cams75-475, carried bythe wheels 11-11 respectively, and engaging vcam rolls 76-76 journaled on.` the rod 74-.74 respectively, These'cam rollsare held in operative engagement with theirrespective ried by the machine on a suitable support, as for example on the levers 21, is a seed hopper 83, provided with one or more outlets, herein in the form of chutes 85, the latter being preferably made laterally yielding, as for example being pivoted at 91 in such a manner as to permit the chutes to swing in vertical planes about the axes of the pivots. Preferably, the chutes 85 .are provided with adjustable spouts 108, entering the lower ends of said chutes, and normally held in the desired position of adjustment by suitable means, as'for example set screws 109. These spouts are preferably curved or inclined rearwardly at their lower extremities, as, for example, shown at 110, so as to be capable of dragging along in the furrows and delivering the seeds to the latter without clogging. Preferably, also, the chutes 85 and their spouts 108 are provided with suitable yielding means tending to restrain them in their rearward movement, such means comprising suitable springs 111, secured to the spouts and to a cross bar 112 on the levers 21. By this means, the spouts are compelled to drag along in the previously pulverized earth, and yet are capable of yielding and riding over any obstruction or irregularities of the ground which may be encountered thereby. Preferably, the chutes with their spouts will correspond in number and position to the picks hereinbefore described, so as to feed the seeds to the earth, which has been opened up by the picks.

An important feature of my invention is that the spouts 108 constitute a screen or barrier against which the earth is thrown rearwardly by the picks. In the operation of the machine, the earth clods, as they are thrown rearwardly by the picks, strike the chutes, which cause the clods to be broken and pulverized. Another important feature is that the clods, as they are thus pulverized or broken up, naturally fall directly upon the seeds deposited by the spouts.

While I have herein shown and described Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing` the one form of my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed and described in detail the construction and larrangement incidental to one specific application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to its specific embodiment herein shown nor to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Claims:

1. ln an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vehicle, earth-cultivating means carried by said vehicle and adapted to throw the earth in a generally horizontal direction, means forming a barrier against which the earth is thrown, and yielding means tending to urge said barrier against the ground.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vehicle, earth cultivating means carried by said vehicle and adapted to throw the earth in a generally hori- Zontal direction, means forming a barrier against which the earth is thrown, and yielding means tending to move said barrier in a forward and downward direction.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vehicle having propelling wheels 11-11, earth-cultivating means 32, 33, 34 and 35, carried by said vehicle at the rear of said driving wheels and adapted to throw the earth in a generally horizontal direction, means 108 forming a barrier against which the earth is thrown, and yielding means 111 tending to move said barrier in a forward and downward direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

INGERSOLL W. MCCALLUM.

Witnesses:

LoUis A. JONES, CLARA L. STUART.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, '.D. C. 

